The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka on 24 April 2013 cost the lives of 1,138 people and injured nearly 2,600 more, making it the deadliest garment-factory disaster ever. Since that terrible day, labour rights organisations have put continued pressured on international brands, employers’ organisations and governments to compensate the victims through the Rana Plaza Arrangement and to sign the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord.

The devastating collapse focused the world's attention on conditions in the garment industry

“I felt a shock and the floor gave way. People started running in chaos and the ceiling came down. I kept protecting my head, but I got stuck between the rubble. My hand got stuck and I thought I would die. People around died.” - Shila Begum, a survivor of the Rana Plaza accident

The first signs of imminent danger appeared the day before, when cracks appeared in the walls of the building. The next morning, workers refused to enter the building due to fears of collapse, whilst those who worked in the banks and shops on the ground floor remained outside. The managers of the garment factories gave the workers a 'choice': work or go home and never come back. Around 9:00 AM the building collapsed.

The collapse was followed by a three-week intensive rescue effort, resulting in around 2,000 people being rescued from the building alive. Many were trapped under the tons of rubble, machinery and distorted steel of the collapsed building for hours or even days. Some could only be rescued by amputating their limbs. The workers produced clothes for well-known North American and European brands such as Benetton, Mango, The Children's Place, KiK, Primark, Walmart and Inditex, the parent company of Zara.

Trust Fund

In September 2013 the was established, consisting of the government, local and international trade unions, non-governmental organisations and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as neutral chair. The committee worked to set up a process to support the victims and their families, resulting in the Rana Plaza Arrangement.

The Arrangement set up the Rana Plaza Donor Trust Fund to collect the necessary money to deliver financial support for loss of income and medical expenses to the Rana Plaza families and survivors by donations from global brands. An estimated US $40 million is needed to deliver the necessary support. At the time of writing the amount collected so far is just over US $17 million.

Read more about the Rana Plaza collapes in the Spotlight page with interviews with workers and activists and video's and an interactive timeline marking key events after the collapse and it's global consequences pushed along by workers, survivors and activists.